Representatives of villages along the Assam-Nagaland border on August 27 night called for urgent intervention by the governments of both states to ease tensions at Negheribil and address longstanding difficulties faced by border residents.
At a press conference in Bhandari, representatives of Longayim, Mekirang and neighbouring villages recounted the incidents reported at Negheribil on August 25 and 26 and urged authorities to prevent further escalation through dialogue and coordinated action.
Longayim Village Council chairman, Wochothung gave a brief account of the August 25 and 26 incidents, stating that they were physically assaulted by a mob gathered at Negheribil while they were on their way to the village with rubber saplings received from the Rubber Board of India.
Separately, Wochothung raised concerns over movement restrictions caused by barricades along the route, saying such restrictions had been a recurring issue and had led to difficulties for residents travelling through the area. He appealed to the Assam Forest Department to remove the barricades to facilitate the movement of people from the border villages.
Wochothung further alleged that some Assam-based media reports had misrepresented the incidents of August 25 and 26 and appealed for responsible reporting to prevent further tensions.
He said the recent developments had subsequently led to the road connecting Longayim, Mekirang and Longchum to the highway being blocked from the Assam side, affecting the movement of residents.
Wochothung said there is an alternate foothill road but it is not motorable and villagers had previously contributed money to improve the alternate road, but their limited resources made it difficult to undertake major road works. He appealed to the Nagaland Government to intervene and make the route motorable.
He also claimed that the area referred to as Negheribil-2 had traditionally belonged to Naga forefathers and alleged that encroachment had contributed to recurring tensions along the border.
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Mekirang Village Council chairman Sorenthung Lotha said the road connecting Mekirang, Longchum and Longayim to the highway had been blocked following the recent tensions, affecting the movement of residents.
He said the three villages are located around two kilometres from the main road connecting Merapani and Changpang, while the alternative foothill route remains in poor condition and is currently not motorable.
Lotha said residents of the three villages had traditionally travelled through Merie village and maintained cordial relations with its people. However, he said the blockade had affected this relationship and urged both sides to resolve the matter through dialogue.
He also appealed to the Nagaland Government to improve the approximately 5.5-km stretch from the Merapani foothill area to Mekirang, suggesting at least a chip-sealed road, which he said was now essential for the three villages.
Lotha said the matter had been brought to the attention of the Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police, Wokha, and the Border Magistrate, who assured them that the issue would be addressed, although no timeline was given.
On the Negheribil issue, Lotha alleged that the area was historically known as Mekirang and raised concerns over settlement and alleged encroachment in the surrounding forest reserve areas. He called for any action concerning settlements in the area to be undertaken jointly by the Assam and Nagaland governments for all communities.
He also alleged that portions of an agricultural link road leading towards Nagaland had been encroached upon and urged the Nagaland Government to look into the matter.
Chumdemo N Jami, a member of the village councils, said the latest developments could escalate if not addressed. He urged the Nagaland Government to take up the matter with the Assam Government through dialogue and work towards maintaining cordial relations between communities living along the border.
